Relationship dossier
Spain
United States
Relationship assessment
A durable NATO and defense partnership, alongside significant disagreement over the Iraq War
Spain toward United States
+40Spain has supported bilateral defense cooperation by hosting US forces at Rota and Morón under agreements with the United States. Spain also participated in the US-led Iraq deployment in 2003, before withdrawing its troops in 2004 after a change of government.
United States toward Spain
+45The United States has maintained defense cooperation with Spain through bilateral agreements and the stationing of US forces at Rota and Morón. A 2014 agreement expanded the US naval presence at Rota.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is underpinned by NATO membership and long-running bilateral defense arrangements, including US access to Spanish bases. These durable security ties coexist with notable policy differences, particularly Spain’s withdrawal from Iraq in 2004 after opposing the war.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Spain and the United States maintain a durable security partnership within NATO and through bilateral defense agreements. Spain has hosted US forces at Rota and Morón, while the two governments have cooperated on defense and security. Their policies have also diverged, notably over the 2003 Iraq War and Spain’s subsequent withdrawal of its troops.
Areas of tension
- Spain’s opposition to the 2003 Iraq War and withdrawal of its troops in 2004
Key developments
Spain and the United States signed bilateral agreements that enabled US military use of bases including Rota and Morón.
A 2014 agreement expanded the US naval presence at Rota.
Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq following a change of government.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of recent cooperation beyond defense and security is uncertain.